THE KNITTED POEM EMERGES.

Well done letter knitters! The Poetry Society's knitted poem is emerging! We had a super time stitching them altogether last Friday at the I Knot day. Ha ha! We are still not going to tell you what the poem is, but we can reveal that when stitched together it will be the size of half a football pitch.

Each letter is signed by it's knitter, usually with an address and the favourite poem at the time of knitting. This makes the forming of words touching and very addictive. Indeed I could have stitched all night.

The Poetry Soc. still need blank squares of 12" and do drop in on the Stitching-Together-Athons on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September. There will be refreshments from their friendly cafe, and lots of poems.

HOW TO KNIT A POEM by GWYNETH LEWIS

The whole thing starts with a single knot

and needles. A word and a pen. Tie a loop

in nothing. Look at it. Cast on, repeat

the procedure till you have a line

that you can work with.

It's a pattern made of relation alone,

my patience, my rythm, till empty bights

create a fabric that can be worn,

if you're lucky and practiced. It's never too

late

to pick up dropped stitches, each hole a clue

to something that might be bothering you,

though I link mine with ribbons and pretend

I meant them to happen. I make a net

of meaning that I carry round

portable, to work on sound

in trains and terrible waiting rooms.

It's thought in action. It redeems

odd corners of disposable time,

making them fashion. It's the kind of work

that keeps you together. The neck's too tight,

but tell me honestly: How do I look?

©2007, the BBC From How to Knit a Poem

Publisher BBC Radio 4, London 2007

Poetry Society - 22, Betterton Street, London WC2H 9BX